Southwestern Public Health works with community members and partners to advance policies and programs that support a living wage to bridge the gap between the provincial minimum wage and the actual cost of living in Oxford County, Elgin County, and the City of St. Thomas.
Southwestern Public Health is a certified living wage employer in Ontario.
What is a living wage?
The 2024 living wage rate for the London-Elgin-Oxford region is $19.50 per hour.
A living wage is the actual hourly rate of pay a worker needs to earn in order to cover basic living expenses in their community. The rate is based on community-specific data based on a family of two working adults and two children.
It is not the same a minimum wage, which is a legislated minimum rate of pay that all employers must pay as set by the provincial government.
Visit Living Wage Regions to find local living wages across Ontario.
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How does a living wage relate to public health?
Income status is one of the key determinants of health and health inequities, which are factors that have an influence on our individual health and the health of the population. According to Health Canada, Canadians who have higher incomes are often healthier than those who have lower incomes.
When people and families are paid below a living wage, they are more likely to face often impossible financial decisions such as deciding between paying utility bills or buying food. The result of these stressors can negatively impact the physical and mental health and well-being of individuals and communities.
Living wage plays an important role for individuals and families to have the means to live a healthy life and reduce the physical and emotional stress related to living in poverty. Living wage also presents an opportunity to talk about the importance of adequate income for everyone, regardless of work status.
What does it mean to be a living wage employer?
Living wage employers voluntarily decide to pay a living wage and maintain their certification as new rates are calculated for their area.
A living wage employer pays all direct and indirect employers the living wage rate for the region(s) in which they operate.
Living wage employers sign a licence agreement and pay an annual employer certification fee. This fee helps the Ontario Living Wage Network to calculate the living wage, certify and recognize employers for their living wage commitment, and advance the living wage movement.
How can an organization become a living wage employer?
The Ontario Living Wage Network is the certification body for living wage employers in Ontario. Learn the steps to becoming a living wage employer at Ontariolivingwage.ca/certify.